Foldable Conduit Bending Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A tube bending apparatus comprising a tube bender having a head defining a channel therein to receive the tube, a tube stop, measurement marks indicating bending angle, and a handle with the proximal end affixed to the head; a foldable stand having a first leg with proximal and distal ends, an upper receiver to which the proximal end of the first leg is foldably affixed, a second leg defined by the bender handle and having a connector foldably affixed to the upper receiver, an alignment means for positioning the bender, and a clamp means for releasably attaching the bender to the stand, and a stabilization means for providing stability to the stand, whereby, the foldable stand can be transported to a worksite, deployed from a collapsed position into an operational position in which the bender handle becomes a second leg for the stand, and the stabilization means provides additional support so that the foldable stand with the bender engaged therewith is self-supporting, allowing a user to bend tubes more accurately and efficiently.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a folding apparatus for bending conduit. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to an apparatus that may comprise acommercially available conduit bender and a self-supporting stand,allowing a user to bend tubes more accurately and efficiently than witha bender by itself

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for bending conduit. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a device that allows acommercially available conduit bender to be placed and maintained in theinverted position allowing the operator to view the angle and to useboth hands during bending process to carefully manipulate the tubing andensuring more precise and quicker repetitive bends. Traditionally,conduit is placed in the bender while the head is on the ground, theuser places a foot on the foot pad connected to the head and grasps thehandle with a hand then bends the conduit to the approximated angle. Theuser then removes the conduit to check the angle, if it the angle isinsufficient then the conduit is placed back in the bender to furtheradjust the angle. This process is repeated until the desired angle isobtained. In general, prior art teaches various devices from simplyadding a foot to the end of the handle to complicated devices forhydraulically or electrically bending conduit.

An early patent teaching a bender of the type to be used in conjunctionwith the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,441 to Benfield, whichteaches a device for variable radius bending of pipe and conduit with afoot pedal to permit the operator to apply foot pressure. U.S. Pat. No.4,269,056 to Kozinski teaches an improved conduit bender head defining apair of arcuate-shaped walls further defining therein two differentpairs of curved inner surface sections to accommodate four of the morecommon types and sizes of conduit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,832 to Illguthteaches an electronic sensing device for use with a hand held bender,the improvement being an electronic system that signals the user whenthe tube has been bent to a predetermined angle. The foregoing patentsrelated to hand held benders and improvements therein.

Another set of patents related to means for performing tubing bendsusing bench or stand-mounted bending equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,344B2 to Godin teaches a device to attach a conduit bender that is claimedto be stable and relative transportable by a single individual. However,in reality, Godin does not teach or claim a device that can be easilytransported and used, at least not without assembly at a work site. U.S.Pat. No. 6,912,886 B1 to Maes teaches a bender device adapted formounting to a vise, which is attached to a permanently mounted singlestanchion, to hold the manual conduit bender in a vertical or horizontalposition. Maes teaches no means to stabilize the device withoutpermanently mounting the stanchion at the work site. These bench orstand-mounted configurations are fine so far as they go, but they arenot easily transportable, and they require users to make a significantinvestment in new equipment. Most tradespersons in the art have a handbender, but they would have to buy a totally new set of bendingequipment to use these stand or stanchion-based benders.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,757,537 B1 to Hartranft teaches an inverted manualconduit bender using the handle as a single leg that is rigidly affixedto a curved foot with a non-slip bottom. In a similar theme, U.S. Pat.No. 8,307,691 B1 to Bolander teaches an inverted manual conduit benderusing the handle as a single leg that is pivotably affixed in thedirection of the bend to a flat foot with a non-slip bottom thuscorrecting a portion of the lateral stability issue presented byHartranft. Hartranft and Bolander might work for smaller angle bends,but as the bends approach and exceed 45 degrees, the acute angle of thebender relative to the ground would cause difficulties using the benderas taught by Hartranft and Bolander. Similarly, they fail to teach ameans to maintain the bender in the operational position without activeoperator stabilization.

The present invention overcomes these shortcomings in the prior art byproviding a simple yet stable support means for a tube bender, which caneasily and quickly be deployed from a collapsed, more easily transportedconfiguration, into a deployed configuration to assist in more easilybending tubes in the field. The present invention is a complement to thehand-held benders already in wide use by those skilled in the art oftubing bending.

There have thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in this application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily beutilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods andsystems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention.Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in those skilled in the art to which the present inventionrelates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment andthe appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded asincluding such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not departfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the left side of the bender attached to thefoldable stand, according to a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the bender attached to the foldable stand,according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the bender attached to the foldable stand,according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a close-up view of the quick release receiver, according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a collapsed view of the foldable stand, according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the bender 138 with its component parts, a benderhead 100, with bender measurement marks 102 thereon, and the benderhandle 106. The bender handle 106 is shown received within thequick-release receiver 104. A lower receiver 108 receives a lower end ofthe bender handle 106.

The lower receiver 108 is rotatably attached at the affixation point 110to a central foot 112. A lower telescoping affixation point 116 isseparately affixed to the lower receiver 108, and the central foot 112also is affixed to a first horizontal affixation point 114 which extendsthrough a first horizontal support 136 to a first foot 134.

The first foot 134 is rotatably affixed to a first joint 132. Extendingupwardly from the first joint 132 is a first leg 130. First leg 130 isattached at the upper attachment point 126 to the quick-release receiver104. The components recited up to this point—the bender handle 106,first horizontal support 136, and the first leg 130, thus form atriangle adapted to support the bender 138.

Prior to deploying a bender 138 with the apparatus, support is providedby the inner tube 118, the outer tube 120 within which the inner tube isreceived, held in place by a set screw 122 adapted to engage the innertube 118 and retain it at a fixed location, all of which are attached atthe upper telescoping affixation point 124 to a sliding collar 128.

The sliding collar 128 engages the first leg 130 in a sliding fashion.As shown in a deployed position in FIG. 1, the sliding collar 128 isdisposed near the upper attachment point 126. In a collapsed position asshown in FIG. 5, the sliding collar 128 is disposed adjacent to thefirst foot 134. FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the present inventionwith a bender 138 deployed and ready for use.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the invention. The bender head 100 can beseen, and a couple of its components are illustrated, specifically thebender tube stop 200 and the bender channel 214.

FIG. 2 illustrates the sliding collar 128 engaged with both a first leg130 and a second leg 204. As the sliding collar 128 moves toward the legspacer 202, its fixed position and engagement with the first and secondlegs 130 and 204 tends to bias the first foot 134 and the second foot212 away from one another. As the sliding collar 128 is moved toward thefirst and second feet 134 and 212, its fixed engagement with the firstand second legs 130 and 204 tends to move the first and second feet 134and 212 closer together into a collapsed position.

The first horizontal support 136 and the second horizontal support 208can be seen in FIG. 2 extending from the first and second feet,respectively 134 and 212 back towards the central foot 112. Each of thehorizontal supports 136 and 208 are affixed to the central foot 112, forexample by a second horizontal affixation point 206.

The second foot 212 is rotatably affixed to a second joint 210.Extending upwardly from the second joint 210 is a second leg 204. Secondleg 204 is attached at the upper attachment point 126 to thequick-release receiver 104.

FIG. 2 also illustrates the inner tube 118, the outer tube 120, and theset screw's 122 path from their connection to the central foot 112 atthe lower end to their connection at the sliding collar 128 at an upperend. Shown behind them in FIG. 2 is the bender handle 106.

FIG. 3 is a perspective rear view of the present invention, and thebender channel 214 can be clearly seen in this figure. The thumb screw300 is adapted to securely engage the bender handle 106. The second leg204 extending downwardly towards the second foot 212 can be seen in FIG.2. Again, from the second foot 212, the second horizontal support 208extends toward the central foot 112. Central foot 112 passes backthrough the first horizontal support 136 toward the first foot 134. Fromthe first foot 134, the first leg 130 extends upwardly toward the upperattachment point 126. The bender handle 106 can be seen extendingupwardly from the lower receiver 108 towards the bender head 100.

FIG. 4 illustrates the quick-release receiver 104 in detail. A firstreceiver portion 416 extends through a connector section 404 to a secondreceiver portion 418 which continues on through a first and secondprotrusion 410 and 412 to define a notch 414 there between. A first end400 is defined in the first receiver portion 416, and a first slot 402is defined therein and adapted to receive the bender handle 106. Asimilar second slot 408 is defined in the second receiver portion 418.The second receiver portion 418 terminates at a second end 406. Thethumb screw 300 also shown at FIG. 3 can be seen in FIG. 4.

The quick-release receiver 104 is in hinged engagement with the rest ofthe apparatus by the receiver connector 420. The hinged operation of thereceiver connector 420 allows the quick-release receiver 104 to berotated so that a void 422 defined between the first receiver and secondreceiver portions 416 and 418 respectively can engage the handle whichcan then, when the quick-release receiver 104 is rotated back intooperational position be received within the first and second slots 402and 408 respectively. The thumb screw 300 is then operated to engage thebender handle 106 securely with the quick-release receiver 104.

FIG. 5 shows the apparatus in a collapsed position. FIGS. 1 through 3show the apparatus in an operational or deployed position. The devicehas the advantage of being easily transportable in a collapsed positionshown in FIG. 5. Prior to collapsing the apparatus, the thumb screw 300is loosened, and the quick-release receiver 104 is rotated to allowdisengagement of the bender 138 from the remainder of the invention.

Shown in a collapsed position, the outer tube 120 has, in cooperationwith the inner tube 118, shortened the overall distance between thesliding collar 128 and the lower telescoping affixation point 116. Also,the sliding collar 128 has moved from an operational position above thefirst foot 134 and the second foot 212 (not seen in FIG. 5) to aposition where it is directly adjacent to them. The first joint 132 hasallowed the first leg 130 to rotate into a position where it is closerto being parallel with the first horizontal support 136 than the angleshown in FIG. 1 between the first leg 130 and the first horizontalsupport 136. A similar effect acts on the second leg 204 and the secondhorizontal support 208. Also, in the collapsed position, the lowerreceiver 108 is adjacent to the quick-release receiver 104. The upperattachment point 126 allows the quick-release receiver 104 to rotateinto a stored position as shown.

The purpose of the abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineersand practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legalterms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection thenature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Theabstract is neither intended to define the invention of the applicationwhich is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as tothe scope of the invention in any way.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skillin the art to which this invention belongs. While various methods of useand structures of the present invention are described herein, anymethods or structures similar or equivalent to those described hereinmay be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. Allreferences cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entiretyand for all purposes. In addition, while the foregoing advantages of thepresent invention are manifested in the illustrated embodiments of theinvention, a variety of changes can be made to the configuration, designand construction of the invention to achieve those advantages includingcombinations of components of the various embodiments. Hence, referenceherein to specific details of the structure and function of the presentinvention is by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

While the invention has been shown, illustrated, described and disclosedin terms of specific embodiments or modifications, the scope of theinvention is not limited by the precise embodiments or modificationstherein shown, illustrated, described or disclosed. Such otherembodiments or modifications are intended to be reserved especially asthey fall within the scope of the claims herein appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:
 1. A tube bendingapparatus comprising: a. a tube bender having a head defining a channeltherein adapted to receive the tube, a tube stop, measurement marksindicating a bending angle, and a handle with distal and proximal ends,the proximal end affixed to the head; and b. a foldable stand having afirst leg with proximal and distal ends, an upper receiver to which theproximal end of the first leg is foldably affixed, a second leg definedby the bender handle and having a connector foldably affixed to theupper receiver, an alignment means for positioning the bender, and aclamp means for releasably attaching the bender to the stand, and astabilization means for providing stability to the stand; whereby, thefoldable stand can be easily be transported to the worksite, deployedfrom a collapsed position into an operational position wherein a benderis engaged with the clamp means and, once engaged, the bender handlebecomes a second leg for the stand, and the stabilization means providesadditional support so that the foldable stand with the bender engagedtherewith is self-supporting, allowing a user to bend tubes moreaccurately and efficiently than with a bender by itself.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 where the bender comprises a bender head, analignment means and affixation means, and at least one additional legaffixed to the upper receiver takes the place of the handle.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1 where the foldable stand comprises at least twolegs in addition to the bender handle affixed to the upper receiver. 4.The apparatus of claim 1 where the stabilization means comprises atleast one lateral support protruding from the distal end of at least oneleg.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 where the stabilization means includesat least one locking means for releasably maintaining the foldable standin the operational position.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 where thelocking means comprises at least one tension element adapted to resistthe separation of the legs of the foldable stand during bending of atube, the tension element selected from a group of rope, wire, tube, androd.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 where the stabilization means includesat least one foot with a top and bottom, the top affixed to at least oneleg and adapted to maintain the foldable stand in the operationalposition.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 where the stabilization meanscomprises at least three legs affixed to an upper receiver, a foldabletable disposed inside the legs and below the upper receiver, the tablepivotably affixed to each leg, and hinged to a central portion of thetable.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 where the stabilization means furthercomprises a level affixed to the table.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1where the stabilization means further comprises at least one distal endof a leg and having an adjustable foot adapted to compensate for unevenwork surfaces.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1 where the clamp meanscomprises at least a bender receiver adapted to engage at least oneselected from the head or handle, an alignment means for retaining thehead in a desired position, and at least one fastening device adapted tosecure the head in the desired position.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1,the foldable stand having more than one fixed position corresponding tospecific desired angles of bends.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12 furthercomprises a level to engage the tube during a bending process, wherebythe level gives a visual indication when the bend has achieved a desiredangle corresponding to the specific setting selected.
 14. A tube bendingapparatus comprising: a. a tube bender having a head defining a channeltherein adapted to receive the tube, a tube stop, measurement marksindicating a bending angle, and handle with distal and proximal ends,the proximal end affixed to the head; and b. a quick-release receiverrotatably affixed to an upper attachment point and having a length oftubing with proximal and distal ends, the tubing having— i. a firstsemi-circular end defining a first slot adapted to receive the handleii. a connector section iii. a second semi-circular end defining asecond slot rotated 180 degrees from the first slot, the second slotalso adapted to receive the handle iv. a pair of protrusions extendingout from the second end, the protrusions defining a notch adapted toreceive an intersection of the handle and head and to engage them toprevent the head from rotating v. a clamp means for releasably attachingthe bender to the stand, having at least one pivot point to foldablyaffix legs to the receiver; and c. a foldable stand having— i. first andsecond legs, each leg with proximal and distal ends, the proximal end ofthe each leg foldably affixed to the quick-release receiver, ii. a thirdleg defined by the bender handle, the quick release receiver, and alower receiver, wherein the proximal end of the bender handle engagesthe quick release receiver, and the distal end engages the lowerreceiver, iii. a pair of horizontal supports, each with proximal anddistal ends, each of the proximal ends pivotably affixed to the lowerreceiver, and distal ends of the horizontal supports pivotably attachedto the first leg and second legs, respectively, and iv. a stabilizationmeans for maintaining the legs in an upright position, whereby, thefoldable stand can easily be transported to the worksite, deployed froma collapsed position into an operational position by activating thelegs, sliding the locking means along the legs, and spreading bothhorizontal supports simultaneously until the required height is reachedand the stand is locked into position, the quick release receiver ismaneuvered into a horizontal position where the proximal end of thebender is inserted into the slot of the quick release receiver and thedistal end of the bender in the lower receiver, once the bender isinserted, the quick release receiver is tilted until it engages andaligns the bender, where the bender is secured by the clamp means andonce engaged and secured, the bender handle becomes a third leg for thestand, therewith is self-supporting, allowing a user to bend tubes moreconveniently than with a bender by itself.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14where foldably affixed comprises detachable ends affixed to either thelegs, horizontal supports or both adapted to be easily and quicklydisconnected allowing the stand to quickly fold.
 16. The apparatus ofclaim 14 where the horizontal support is a tension element adapted toresist the separation of the legs of the folding stand during thebending process, the tension element selected from a group of rope,wire, tube, and rod.
 17. The apparatus of claim 14 where thestabilization means comprises at least one foot with a top and bottomwith the top affixed to at least one leg, and the bottom adapted tomaintain the foldable stand in the operational position.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 17 where the stabilization means further comprises anon-skid surface affixed to a bottom of at least one foot attached to atleast one leg.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17 where the stabilizationmeans includes at least one adjustable foot, whereby, the length of theleg to which the foot is attached can be adjusted to compensate foruneven work surfaces.
 20. A tube bending apparatus comprising: a. a bodyproviding a plurality of attachment points; b. a head affixed to anupper attachment point on the body, the head defining a channel thereinadapted to receive the tube, a tube stop, measurement marks indicating abending angle; c. a foldable stand having at least two legs, each ofwhich is foldably affixed to the body and extends down therefrom, and d.a stabilization means for maintaining the legs in an upright position,whereby, the bender mounted on a foldable stand can be easily betransported to the worksite, deployed from a collapsed position into anoperational position and the stabilization means provides support sothat the integrated foldable stand therewith is self-supporting,allowing a user to bend tubes more conveniently than with a bender byitself.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20 where the stabilization meanscomprises at least one lateral support protruding from the distal end ofat least one leg.
 22. The apparatus of claim 20 where the stabilizationmeans includes at least one locking means for releasably maintaining thefoldable stand in the operational position.
 23. The apparatus of claim22 where the locking means comprises at least one tension elementadapted to resist the separation of the legs of the foldable standduring bending of a tube, the tension element selected from a group ofrope, wire, tube, and rod.
 24. The apparatus of claim 20 where thestabilization means includes at least one foot with a top and bottom,the top affixed to at least one leg and adapted to maintain the foldablestand in the operational position.
 25. The apparatus of claim 20 wherethe stabilization means comprises at least three legs affixed to thebody, a foldable table disposed inside the legs and below the body, thetable pivotably affixed to each leg, and hinged to a central portion ofthe table.
 26. The apparatus of claim 25 where the stabilization meansfurther comprises a level affixed to the table.
 27. The apparatus ofclaim 26 where the stabilization means further comprises at least onedistal end of a leg having an adjustable foot adapted to compensate foruneven work surfaces.